Magnetic top.



s. H. REIMER.

MAGNETIC TOP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1915.

1 1 98,578 Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

mafias: I A lam/z?? prises a sheet metal cup UNITED STATES PATENT omen.

GEORGE H. REIMER, 0F FULTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PATENT NOVELTY COMPANY, OF FULTON, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MAGNETIC TOP.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE H. REIMER, a

citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Fulton, Whiteside county, Illinois, (residential address 514? Twelfth avenue, Fulton, Illinois,) have invented a oertain newand usefullmprovement 1n ;Mag netic Tops, of whichthefollowing 1s a specification.

My invention relates to toys of that kind in which a magnet is mounted for movement to agitate or move abouton the upper surface of the toy a piece of metal having any desired form or shape.

The object of my invention is to rovlde a simple and inexpensive toy of this (1nd in which the magnet consists of a vertical post having a wheel or disk for causing rotation thereof by momentum, after the post has been twisted or rotated by the thumb and finger, and in which a sheet metal cup is employed for inclosing the said Wheel or disk, the said cup having a top or fixed cover through which the said post extends upwardly a distance, and the metal object which is agitated or moved about by the magnetic post being in the form of a toy snake which travels back and forth across the upper surface of said cover when the toy is operated.

It is also an object to provide certain details of construction tending to increase the effectiveness of a comparatively cheap and simple magnetic toy of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends, as will more fully appear, my invention consists in. matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a. perspective of a magnetic toy top embodymg the principles of my nvent on. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 1s a vertical section of the said top on line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

As thus illustrated, m invention comprovided with a rim a bent outwardly to provide a shoulder a for the top or cover B, which latter is in the form of a thick disk of paper board having its edges tightly held in said rim. The bottom of said-cup is provided with a. central'depression a", and also with a circular depression a adjacent the side walls a, whereby the said cup is adapted to rest Specification of Letters l atent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

Application flied January 19, 1915. Serial No. 3,006.

firmly upon a flat surface. The magnetic post C has its lower end provided with a point for engaging the depression a, and is provided with a heavy wheel or metal disk 0,'which latter is located substantially midway between the top and bottom of the cup. Preferably, the said disk is higher at the center thereof than at its outer edges, so that its upper surface slopes gradually from the center thereof in all directions toward the outer circular edge of the disk. The under side of the disk can be hollow, and with this formation, involving an upward and central bulge at the top of the disk, the rotation will not be interrupted by friction against the underside of-the cover B should the disk be lifted or raised while being rotated by the application of the thumb and finger to the upper end of the post. A brass bearing 7) is fitted in the center of the cover B, to receive the cylindric post C and facilitate rotation thereof.

The piece of sheet metal D is-in the form of a snake, being provided with compound curves, and is preferably concave below and convex above, when viewed in cross section, being made by pressing a section of sheet metal in any suitable or desired manner. When allowed to come in contact with the rotating post C, as shown in the drawings, the said snake will crawl or wriggle back and forth across the upper surface of the cover B, being made of sheet iron or other magnetic material. Several snakes can be operated at the same time if desired. Thus, with the foregoing construction, the thumbpiece C, which extends upwardly above the top plate of the box, serves the double function of both rotating the disk and operating 1 the snake. The edges of the snake come in contact with the cylindric surface of the said thumb-piece, and even. though the snake may move up and dowh considerably, while moving back and forth, still there willbe no cessation of the operation, inasmuch as the height of the post is sufiicient to keep the snake from jumping over the upper end thereof, as well as for permitting the disk to be rotated by the thumb and-finger.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A toy top comprising a\ sheet'metal cup provided with a central. depression in the bottom thereof, a cover engaging the rim of said cup, a magnetic post extending in said cup to rotate said post by momentum, the u per portion of said post forming a thum -piece above said cover and being cylindric and rotatable by the thumb and finger, and a metal snake movable over the surface of said cover b magnetic contact edgewise with the cy indric sides of said thumb-piece when the latter is rotated by said means. i y

2. A toy top comprising a sheet metal cup provided with a central depressionin.

the bottom thereof, a cover engaging the rim of said cup, a magnetic post extending downward through said cover, the lower end of said past engaging said depression, means ,in sald cup to rotate said post by momentum, the upper portion of said post forming a thumb-piece above said cover and being cylindric and rotatable by the thumb and finger, and a metal snake movable over the surface of said cover by magnetic contact edgewise with the cylindric sides of said thumb-piece when the latter is rotated by said means, said cover being of paper and having a non-magnetic metal bearing for said post.

3. A toy top comprising a sheet metal cup provided with a central depression in the bottom thereof, a cover engaging the rim of said cup, a magnetic post extending downward through said cover, the lower end of said post engaging said depression, means in said cup to rotate said post by momentum, the upper portion of said post forming a thumb-piece above said cover and being cylindric and rotatable by the thumb and finger, and a metal snake movable over the surface of said cover by magnetic contact edgewise with the cylindric sides of said thumb-piece when the latter is rotated by said means, said snake having compound curves therein and being convex on one side and concave on the other.

4. A toy top comprising a sheet metal cup provided with a central depression in the bottom thereof, a cover] engaging the rim of said cup, a magnetic post extending downward throughisaid cover, the lower end of said post engaging said depresion, means in said cup to rotate said post by momentum, the upper portion of said post forming a thumb-piece above said cover and being cylindric and rotatable by the thumb and finger, and a metal snake movable over the surface of said cover by magnetic contact edgewise with thecylindric sides of said thumb-piece when the latter is rotated by said means, said means consisting of a metal disk the upper surface of which is higher around said post than at the outer edges thereof.

5. A toy top comprising a sheet metalcup provided with a central depression in the bottom thereof, a cover engaging the rim of said cup, a magnetic post extending downward through said cover, the lower end of said post engaging said depression, means in said cup to rotate said post by momentum, the upper portion of said post forming a thumb-piece above said cover and being cylindric and rotatable by the thumb and finger, and a metal snake movable over the surface of said cover by magnetic contact edgewise with the cylindric sides of said thumbpiece when the latter is rotated by said means,

the bottom of said cup having a circular,

depression therein extending adjacent the sides of the cup.

Signed by me at Fulton, Illinois, this 31st day of December, 1914.

GEORGE H. REIMER. Witnesses:

M. C. Rooms, THORA H, Porn 

